Annual Address to the Members. xlix 



closely with his official duties and the various Colonial matters in 

 which he took a part until, in 1870, he retired from the Observatory 

 and took up his residence at Mowbray, about a mile from the scene 

 of his former labours. Latterly his sight failed him, and in 1876 he 

 became totally blind. In his declining health he was tenderly 

 nursed by his devoted family ; he kept up his interest in science 

 and politics with unabated vigour, his daughters reading to him for 

 hours together. He was particularly interested in all matters 

 connected with the exploration of Africa, and the last occasion on 

 which he left his house was to attend a meeting held in Cape Town 

 when Stanley visited the Colony. No name was better known or 

 better loved in the Colony than that of Sir Thomas Maclear. On 

 the occasion of his last public appearance which I have just 

 mentioned, he was received with even greater applause than that 

 which greeted Stanley himself. 



The latter years of Maclear' s directorate were embittered by what 

 must be considered unfair demands for immediate publication of 

 results. It cannot be denied that prompt and methodical publication 

 of astronomical results greatly enhances their value, and it is the 

 unquestionable duty of the director of every observatory to comply 

 with these conditions as far as lies in his power. But Maclear had 

 not the necessary staff — proper provision for the enormous com- 

 puting and clerical labour involved was never made. Fallows's 

 observations had to be reduced and published after his death. 

 Henderson devoted much of the time of the subsequent years of 

 his life to discussing and publishing the results of his thirteen 

 months' observations at the Cape, and Maclear was doubtless 

 under the impression that in some way pro^ ision would be made 

 for the reduction of his observations also. No such provision was 

 made. Acting under specific instructions, which involved long 

 absences from the Observatory during many successive years on 

 the survey, not only Maclear himself, but one observatory assistant 

 also was required for the field work of the survey. Thus frhe 

 unreduced observations necessarily remained untouched, and mean- 

 while, under the stimulus of his direction and example, and in 

 compliance with his instructions, others were yearly added. Then 

 followed urgent demands for the reduction of the observations of 

 the survey, a work of great labour that occupied much of the time 

 of his staff. Think, too, of the influence of the example of Sir John 

 Herschel. He toiled nearly all night in observing, and took to 

 England the results of his labours for discussion and reduction. 

 Maclear had absorbed in this school the influence of the motto of 

 the Herschel family, " Quidquid nitet notandum." Could such 



